


A Series of Events

by iohari



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-17
Updated: 2017-02-17
Packaged: 2018-09-25 04:10:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9802055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iohari/pseuds/iohari
Summary: To think that disturbing old elven artifacts could change the course of one's life... Castiel Mahariel expected her day to begin and end just as any other day ran it's course-- the life of a Dalish elf was not provocative, but she would have it no other way. Instead, after a run in with three humans, she, along with her long time friend, Tamlen, would find themselves exploring an old ruin that held secrets about their ancient elven origins. However, the course of the simple life style that she was so accustomed to was beginning to change when they encountered an obscure and large mirror that lied at the center.





	

**Author's Note:**

> okokokokok so this is a part one out three since this story will technically be based off the world state that I have in place. HOWEVER; since I played Origins and Inquisition eleven times each I barely remember what I did in one play through, soooooooooooooo this and the eventual two other stories will be based off of a new play through I'm currently doing right now. So  
> yeah  
> this gonna be dumb long lololol.
> 
> So at the same time, I can't tag what romance will be in this story since it's going to based off new game play and I usually let romances run their course rather than try to push for one. So; oooo; mystery ooo; spoopy; oooo.

It was just like any other day. Warm, breezy, bright, the bird's songs filled their air as the wind bristled through the leaves. The skies were clear and blue. Castiel woke past sunrise, never having felt more rested in the entirety of her life. As she drew back the cloth that covered her, she prepared herself for the upcoming day by directing the chestnut colored hair that framed her face behind her ears and stripped of her nightwear. A soft breeze brushed against her exposed skin as she gathered the ensemble of her attire for the day. It was a day as good as any to go out for a hunt. She dressed into her armored gear and slung her quiver of arrows on her back. With bow in hand, she went into the forest where she met with one of her clanmates, Tamlen. The two often hunted together, sharing in the pride of securing their game for their fellow clansmen. It was just like any other day.

The two elves were long time companions, often adventuring in the forests together. Tamlen was the leader of the two, mostly for his stubborn attitude and the other’s unwillingness to argue with him. That left the girl to be the voice of reason, when she did make the attempt to. However, her lack of protest made most her attempts for naught. He knew how to sway her decision and how long to argue for before she’d admit defeat, and would often utilize both tactics. They stuck to their usual route, only going off track for catching game. Amidst their usual path back home, though, they came across three wanderers who have yet to notice their presence. Tamlen directed the other to flank the group from their inevitable blind spot. He, on the other hand, managed to ready himself, standing in their inevitable path not too far away. A perk of surveying the forests before setting up camp. There were three humans, running in a panic, not taking care to care in whatever direction they had to have come from. As they came closer, Tamlen readied his bow and arrow and pointed in their direction waiting for their arrival. One by one they each came to a skidded halt.

"It's a Dalish!" one of them cried, gesturing his hand to Tamlen's direction. He sat on the ground, using one arm to prop himself up and struggled to catch his breath.

"Let us pass, elf. You have no right to stop us,” the second one stated, holding his ground and making a display of assertion. His fists were balled up and eyes narrowed at the elf, however considering that all three men were unarmed, it was pitiful. The girl watched from a distance, commending the man for at least showing some display of bravery.

"No? We will see about that, won't we?" Alas, it didn’t change the fact of the position they were in. The elven woman stepped into view from their side, armed and ready just as her partner. Tamlen quickly looked to her direction and back to the three. "You're just in time," he said. "I found these humans lurking in the bushes. Bandits, no doubt." Tamlen once again readied his bow, aiming for the human who demanded for leave. Quickly, the man’s show of dominance washed away as he came to terms with the severity of the situation at hand.

"We aren't bandits, I swear! Please don't hurt us." The man spoke in a different tone.

"You shemlen are pathetic!" he said in unison of a laugh. "It's hard to believe you ever drove us from our homeland."

"We never done nothing to you Dalish! We didn't even know this forest was yours." The third man started to walk forward, pleading with the elves.

"This forest isn't ours, fool. You've stumbled too close to our camp. You shems are like vermin-- we can't trust you not to make mischief." He shook his head and took a deep breath. "What do you say, lethallan? What should we do with them?"

She looked to the three men. Having seen the fear in their eyes, it was worth to pry out some information from them. "Let's find out what they're doing here. There's no chance they stumbled upon here by accident." Cocking her head, she aimed her bow between the other two men.

"Does it matter? Hurting or banditry, we'll need to move camp if we let them live," Tamlen barked back.

“We’ll need to move camp regardless…” she looked to her companion and back to the men, looking to capitalize on the terror the two inflicted, “but I guess it wouldn’t make a difference, would it?” She drew back her arm, gripping tightly to the bow string and arrow while aiming at one of the men. 

"Look... we didn't come here to be trouble. We just found this cave..." one of the men stated.

"Yes, a cave!" the other interjected, though just as he started speaking looked away. He found a lot of difficulty looking at the elven male who was ready to gun him down. "With ruins like I've never seen! We thought there might be, uh..."

"Treasure?" Tamlen said, finishing off the trailing thought. "So, you're more akin to thieves than actual bandits."

"Right…” she sighed. “I'd like to see these ruins.”

"So, would I. I've never heard of ruins in these parts."

"I have proof! Here we found this just inside the entrance." The man held out his hand and in it was a stone, obviously, man-made. It was smooth to the touch.

"This stone has carvings..." the elven man stated while examining the object. "Is this elvish? Written elvish?"

"There's more in the ruins! We didn’t get very far in, though..."

"This sounds like a trap… Do you believe them?" the woman asked.

“A trap?” The man’s voiced cracked. “We didn’t even know you elves were here! We…” he took a deep breath, gathered his composure, and started up again. “We were just trying to find the treasure.”

“And this is all you found? Why didn’t you look for more?” the elven male asked.

"There was a demon! It was huge, with black eyes. Thank the Maker we were able to out run it."

"A demon?" Tamlen scoffed and cocked his brow, clearly annoyed. "Where is this cave?"

"Just off the west... I think. There's a cave in the rock face, and a huge hole just inside."

"Well? Do you trust them? Shall we let them go?" The difference between the two elves is that Tamlen wouldn’t find an excuse to kill off humans, considering the age-old history between the two races. Castiel, on the other hand, was more compassionate. For her, she didn’t see the harm in letting them leave. No matter what, they would have to inform their keeper, Marethari, of this encounter and she would advise to move camp. Even if the humans were to come back to hunt the elves, they would’ve been long gone by the time of their return.

"You've frightened them enough." Her voice dropped as the words left her accompanied by a sigh. They won't bother us." 

"Run along then, shems...” Tamlen started to disarm, though keeping a close hold on his bow for the off chance. “And don't come back until we Dalish has moved on."

"Of course! Thank you, thank you!" And with that, the men ran off, their praises to the Maker still audible, grateful that they all still had their lives.

"Well,” Tamlen spoke up. The inflection of his voice hinted off his distaste towards his companion’s decision. He gripped his hand and remember the stone, eyeing it once more. “Shall we see if there's any truth to their story? These carvings made me curious."

"Shouldn't we inform the keeper?" 

"She might be interested in these carvings,” he said while examining the stone, “but let see if there’s anything more before we get excited. Besides, we're already here. Now they said it was to the west..."

“But…” she sighed, knowing that it would be hard to convince her friend to change his mind. As he started walking, she followed behind. “Let’s just make this quick.” Castiel sheathed her weapon and crossed her arms as traveled through the dense forest, remembering to pick up the items they originally were sent out to scavenge for in the first place on the way. Luckily, the Brecillian forest is kind to its inhabitants. The forest creatures, though plenty, do stay to themselves unless provoked. Seldom had there been a need to ward off the black wolves or great bears that usually would try to terrorize the clan. The forest was also giving, home to plenty of common herbs for healing and poison making items to more rare ambiguities. It’s a shame they would have to relocate.

It was maybe a fifteen-minute walk before they noticed what was a cavern within the rock face just as the humans describe. The two elves gazed on to it for a moment before looking around the area. "This must be the cave. I don't recall seeing this before... do you?"

"No, and that worries me…” She reached for one of her daggers, anticipating for a sudden attack. “We should be careful.”

"Always the careful one,” the male said with a smile. “Fine, but I'm not running back until I know there's something worth making a fuss over. Come on, let's at least see what's there. How dangerous could it be?" Together they took care to walk into the cavern, staying on high alert. There was no clear path, and the stones that laid on the ground were not embedded, easily sliding every which way. As they ventured further in, the nonuniform walls started to take shape. Smooth, clear and creased curvatures. 

"It looks like the shem was telling the truth. These ruins look more human than elven." For once a look of concern was read on the elven male’s face as he examined their surroundings, listening to the soft whispers and cries of whatever accompanied them in the new place. "This place makes me nervous." His voice was low as if he didn't mean to speak aloud, but the woman shared in his feelings. It's common for the Dalish to scope out the area before setting up camp, to ensure that wherever they make their "home" to be safe. It's strange to find this cave, these ruins now.

"What do you think all this is?" she asked, hoping to relieve some of the tension.

"I'm not sure. This looks like a very old human place. Maybe some of our ancestors lived here, in caves like the dwarves..." There was a moment of silence before laughter left the male's mouth. "I'll stick to roaming the land myself."

"Why did you want to come down here so badly?" She started walking forward, taking care to watch her steps. Despite the ruins' lack of life, it was still just as likely for there to be traps set in place as if there was someone or something lurking the halls. The elven woman had more of a talent of noticing the craft, thus started to take the lead as they explored the ruins.

"Aren't you curious?" He followed behind in suit. "We could be discovering our history. Minstrels will write songs about us!"

"You aren't fooling me, Tamlen," she replied, scoffing at his statement.

He looked at her for a moment, dumbfounded. Furrowing his brows, his lips made motion but no sounds left. Eventually there was a sigh. "If I were to bring some valuable ancestral artifact back to the keeper, she might forgive me for... well, you know..."

She quickly interrupted him. "Thank you for covering for me, by the way." She spoke in a livelier tone. The point of talking was to ease both of their minds as they explored, not to give each other more to worry about.

"Of course, you know I'd do anything for you." He gave her a warm smile as they both fell quiet again. A hissing sound echoed the room as they stood still, trying to locate the source. A couple of oversized spiders started to fall from the ceiling. The two elves stood guard, Tamlen with his sword and shield and Castiel with two daggers in hand, preparing themselves to fight off the unwanted company. Luckily it didn't take them too long, but it was still messy. As they went deeper and deeper into the ruins there were more spiders that crept up on them. There were maybe three separate attacks from the rouge insects, obviously tiring them out. Tamlen took a deep breath and looked over to his companion. 

"Hey, weren't you supposed to be assisting Master Ilen today? How did you end up coming with me?"  
She looked at him confused by the sudden question. "What? Now it's your turn to make idle chat?" Rolling her eyes, she smiled and nudged him. "You know me. I get away from camp whenever I can."

"I never known anyone so eager to wander." His brows furrowed once more. "I bet you'll end up a flat-ear one day, living in the cities like the shems."

“That’ll be the day.” She stood up straight and sheathed her weapons once more, continuing their exploration of the ruins. There was so much to take in that she passed by a statue that stood proudly against the wall.

"I can't believe this. You recognize this statute, don't you?" Tamlen said with delight.

She turned back at him, watching as he stepped closer to the oddly placed statue. Backtracking, the woman stood at a distance and crossed her arms, trying to remember where she would have seen the figure before. "It's worn, but it looks vaguely familiar..."

"Back when our people lived in Arlathan, statutes like these honored the creators. When the shems enslaved us, much of that lore was lost…. This looks like human architecture... with a stature of our people. Can these ruins date back to the time of Arlanthan?" 

"We're nowhere near Arlathan, and this proves nothing. Can we keep going? I’m getting a bad feel for this place.” She started to walk away from the statue.

"We must have lived in other places too.” He thought aloud in a hushed tone. Hearing the footsteps of his partner go further and further away, he started to follow behind. “Even if elves didn't live here, its architects knew of our gods."

They ventured in deeper, passing the decaying bodies of past wanderers. “We should be careful… I don’t want to end up like them,” the woman commented, trying to maneuver past all the laid-out bodies.

“Not like we would. Whatever did this is probably long gone. It’s been too quiet other than for those spiders.” Tamlen was never one to outwardly show his fear. It was part of the reason that Castiel admired him, his bravery. The two of them had encountered their share of mishaps together and it was usually Tamlen’s quick wit that saved their hides… even if it may have had also been his eagerness that originally found them in whatever predicament that required his saving. It seemed as if they explored every inch of the ruins besides one door. As the woman reached over to grab the handle, a poisonous gas filled the air and a low growling sound echoed in the halls. They tried to cover their mouths as to not breath in the toxin. Their eyes watered and soon they were surrounded by an army of the undead. There wasn’t any time to think, only to act. The pair in horror over the idea that they had to fight the actual living dead. The clan has heard rumors of walking corpses, understanding that this was the reason that humans cremated their dead, but to see one up close? And fend off from it? No story could’ve prepared them.

"Are those walking corpses? This place is haunted!" Tamlen cried after the last body fell.

A chill went up the elven woman’s spine as she stared at the bodies before them, wondering if they were truly dead this time. She retreated towards the shut door, leaning against it for a moment while catching her breath. A breeze hit her legs. It was soft and subtle. “I-I think there’s an exit this way. I feel a draft. I just want to get out of here.”  
Tamlen gave her a nod and walked towards her as she opened the door. There were several things that stood out. The gaping hole opposite from them, the centerpiece mirror, but what first caught their eye was the bear that circled the room. Seeing the rays of sun piercing through the hole in the wall, it was safe to assume that’s how the bear originally came in, but… this was different. Coating its body was these… quills. It wasn’t as if the bear was stabbed by the object. No, it was growing from its back. Its ribcage was fully visible, but there was no bleeding. And eyes… it had eyes as black as night. This was no bear. Whatever it was, it was on the attack.

The two were caught off guard. Let alone that neither had expected there to be a creature living in the ruins, but they were both concerned as to what they encountered. They hastily grabbed hold of their individual weapon of choice and attempted an assault. Neither of them were prepared for what lied in that room. 

"By the Creators! What was that thing?"

The woman walked towards the fallen creature to get a better look. “Whatever it was… It’s dead.”

Walking forward, there lied the almost empty room. It had an open space, spare only for the tree limbs that grew from the ground and framed the room and a raised mirror. It stood in the middle of the room, accompanied by two statues that framed it perfectly. It was clear, surprisingly, and large. 

The two, exhausted from their recent battle, walked up to the mirror slowly. Tamlen, more entranced by it than the other. The woman, on the other hand, felt a disturbing presence in the room. An evil radiating from the mirror. She passed by the mirror and started to go through the gaping hole in the wall. “You aren’t going to leave without taking a closer look at the mirror, are you?”

She turned back to look at his companion who stood still. “That’s exactly what I was going to do. I don’t trust it, and neither should you.”

“It sat here for who knows how many centuries? What could be so dangerous?” He glanced to her direction for a moment before walking the three steps up to get a closer look.

“A lot… we found something to tell the keeper, I’m sure she’ll know something about this.”

“Don’t worry; I won’t break it…. I wonder what the writing says.”

“’Do not touch the glass’ perhaps?” she responded, not nearly as drawn to the object as he was.

He scoffed at her comment. “It’s not like we’d even leave a mark on it. Look at how clean it is.”

“Maybe because people didn’t touch it, like it says,” she retorted back, crossing her arms and looking to him. “I have a bad feeling about this, Tamlen.”

“I think something moved inside the mirror.”

She gave him a concerning look, a look he wouldn’t have even noticed. “Get away from it, then.”

“Hold on, I just want to know what it is. You see it? There it is again.” This time she noticed the rippling effect coming from the mirror. The other, however, seemed unfazed by it. “Can… you feel that? I think it knows we’re here… I just need a closer look.” He put his hand against the glass and the rippling intensified. A faded pink light emitted from the glass. “It’s… showing me places. I can see… some kind of city… underground?” He adjusted his body, bending somewhat to get a better view. The woman crossed her arms, barely seeing any of the imagery that her friend claimed to see. However, the more he lingered, the more it looked like his hand was passing through the mirror. “There’s a great blackness…” A pair of eyes, filled with a ghastly illuminating green, waved across the glass, and soon stared down the male making direct eye contact. “It… it saw me! Help, I can’t look away!” A lowly growl echoed through the halls and a bright light filled every dark corner. A force pushed the woman down, while Tamlen was still standing.  
A high-pitched ringing irritated her as she lied on the ground. She tried to sit up, but despite how much pain her body was in, it was the blood rushing to her head that kept her down. “Tamlen?” she called, but the ringing made it impossible for her to even hear her own thoughts. The light blinded her, making it hard for her eyes to adjust to the natural light fixture. There was a warmth on her arm. The elven woman drifted in and out of consciousness. Her head was light, body heavy, and blood boiled. Trees hovered over her, the sky was clear and blue. Suddenly she felt the ground underneath her, the warmth that surrounded her had left as she stared at a man who tried to get her attention. She had no recollection of how she ended up outside the ruins. "Can you hear me?" His voice echoed and left another ringing in her ears, causing her to wince. "I am very sorry." He fell out of view just before everything just went dark.

**Author's Note:**

> Not every chapter will be this obnoxiously long and detailed. I am writing this story for two friends, one who never played Dragon Age and another who only played Origins. So for their sake I have to write some obvious details that seasoned players would think is obvious knowledge, but would be shocking news for whose who never played.  
> As for the Dalish origin story; this would probably be the most detailed arc. Heaven knows I'm going to skimp around Ozammar because that is just TOO much. fucking Ozammar. u gh.
> 
> Also, if anyone has any suggestions or ideas I'm open for criticism! 
> 
> Finally; I will try to keep to a biweekly posting schedule. Since I play the game and record it on my laptop and I take my laptop everywhere, I have the luxury of working on my writing when I'm on the go! which is often... since you know  
> Two job working student kms lololol. 
> 
>  
> 
> BUUUUTTTTTTT tytyty for reading I hope you enjoy and I'll try to get the other half of the Dalish origin story up ASAP just because I technically split it in half and I'm 75% done it so let's try Tuesday!


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